Sparganosis is a parasitic disease in humans and animals caused by plerocercoid larvae (spargana) of the genus Spirometra. Spirometra erinaceieuropaei is the major causative agent of the disease in Asian countries. However, molecular evidence of the causative parasite species in animals remains lacking. A total of 19 spargana specimens were obtained from frogs, Hoplobatrachus rugulosus, collect...

We purified specific 31/36 kDa antigenic molecules from sparganum in different intermediate hosts (snakes and mice) and analyzed their monosaccharide compositions. Compositional analysis showed that glucose and mannose concentrations were 2-3 fold higher in the 31/36 kDa molecule purified from snakes than those from mice. This result implies that antigenic glycoproteins of sparganum from snakes...

The 27 kDa cathepsin L-like cysteine protease of Spirometra erinacei plerocercoid is known to play an important function in tissue penetration, nutrient uptake and immune modulation in human sparganosis. In the present study, the expression of this enzyme was examined at different developmental stages of S. erinacei including immature egg, coracidium, plerocercoid in tadpole and rat, and adult....

The mature domain of a cysteine protease of Spirometra erinacei plerocercoid larva (i.e., sparganum) was expressed in Escherichia coli, and its value as an antigen for the serodiagnosis of sparganosis was investigated. The recombinant protein (rSepCp-1) has the molecular weight of 23.4 kDa, and strongly reacted with the sparganum positive human or mice sera but not with negative sera by immunob...

schistosomiasis is the second most common parasitic cause of death, after malaria. biomphalaria glabrata is a fresh water snail with medical importance since it is the intermediate host of schistosoma mansoni, an agent of schistosomiasis. the internal defense system of b. glabrata snails is mostly represented by circulating elements of the hemolymph, hemocytes, which are important factors in fi...

CHAI , D. FARAH, I. & MUCHEMI , G. 1997. Sparganosis in non-human primates. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research, 64:243-244 Over a period of 15 years, the larval stages of Diphyllobothri id tapeworms of the genus Spirometra were found during routine necropsy in four of 3 007 non-human primates at the Institute of Primate Research (IPR) .

Human sparganosis is a foodborne zoonosis endemic in Asia. We report a series of 9 histologically confirmed human sparganosis cases in Hong Kong, China. All parasites were retrospectively identified as Spirometra erinaceieuropaei. Skin and soft tissue swelling was the most common symptom, followed by central nervous system lesions.

Sparganosis is a rare parasitic infection in humans caused by a larval cestode of the genus Spirometra. Spargana invade muscle, subcutaneous tissue, the eye, urogenital, and abdominal viscera, but the central nervous system (CNS) is not a frequent site of invasion. Here, we describe an 18-year-old patient with cerebral sparganosis and review data from other cases reported in the medical literat...

INTRODUCTION Offspring of Schistosoma mansoni-infected women in schistosomiasis-endemic areas may be sensitised in-utero. This may influence their immune responsiveness to schistosome infection and schistosomiasis-associated morbidity. Effects of praziquantel treatment of S. mansoni during pregnancy on risk of S. mansoni infection among offspring, and on their immune responsiveness when they be...

A monoclonal antibody (mAb) directed against a synthetic peptide derived from the sequence of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) regulatory protein virion infectivity factor (vif) labeled the surface of Schistosoma mansoni schistosomula by indirect immunofluorescence. Western blotting showed that two S. mansoni proteins of 170 and 65 kD were recognized by the mAb. Sera from 20% of ...